Chapter Fifty-Two: The Fallen Celestial Fox

The days spent in cultivation passed in the blink of an eye. Over the course of more than a month, Hua Feng learned that Yunmeng had already broken through to the Yuan Emperor level and was currently at the initial stage of level forty-five Yuan Emperor. As for Hua Feng, thanks to his diligent training combined with the effect of the inherited power within him, his progress was even more astonishing—he had reached level forty-six, mid-stage Yuan Emperor, advancing even faster than Yunmeng, who had the guidance of someone as powerful as Snow Master, a Yuan Saint. Their daily short conversations were cherished by both, and so the days slipped quietly by.

Shortly after the Lunar New Year, one morning, Xiao Li changed out of her traditional Han-style attire and donned the clothing of a human woman—a fitted denim ensemble, her hair tied back in a long ponytail. Lately, she had felt the family’s inherited cultivation technique corroding her body with increasing severity. If she did not address it soon, it might damage her meridians, causing all the extreme cold and yin power she had painstakingly cultivated to scatter, and could even endanger her life.

Typically, women of her clan, upon reaching her age, would seek a companion to unite with, harnessing the balance of yin and yang to stabilize the extreme cold and yin within them through the Heavenly Fox Heart Technique, the essential foundation for channeling their demonic energy, no matter what advanced skills they practiced.

From the very first moment she met Hua Feng, she sensed the pure yang energy within him—purer even than that of the great demons of her own race. Only after getting to know him did she learn that humans called this constitution the “Yin-Yang Five Element Balance Body.”

Though she felt embarrassed to ask, time was pressing, and she could only turn to the man who had once saved her life. Forgive me, Hua Feng, she thought as she made her way toward his room.

Knock, knock, knock…

Hua Feng heard someone at the door and withdrew his spiritual awareness from studying the Flame Emperor’s imprints. Rising to open the door, he was momentarily stunned by the sight before him. Accustomed to seeing Xiao Li in traditional dress, her sudden transformation into modern attire was truly striking. Any normal man, upon seeing such a beautiful woman, would have been unable to help but steal a few extra glances. Yet she must have known this was his usual time for cultivation. Why had she come to him now? Hua Feng was puzzled.

“Sister Xiao Li, is there something you need?” He invited her in and asked.

“It’s nothing too serious,” she replied, “just… I need a bit of pure yang energy. My cultivation technique has become unbalanced lately. If I don’t correct it soon, I may not only lose all my present strength but also hundreds of years of cultivation, and might never be able to return to the Demon Realm on my own.” Xiao Li felt the demonic energy that had just calmed within her begin to stir again at the sight of the abundantly yang Hua Feng, a hunger akin to that of a starving person suddenly confronted with a feast.

Hua Feng sensed the unusual desire in her eyes. Pouring her a glass of water, he said, “Sister Xiao Li, have some water first. How can I help? What can I do to help you balance your demonic power?”

“You just need to…” Her eyes suddenly turned a beguiling shade of pink. She wanted to say that simply spending a night with him would stabilize her restless yin energy, but her body, overcome by instinct, moved of its own accord.

She felt her last strand of rational thought succumb to primal desire. At that moment, she could only act on the instinct to find balance for her internal energies, and Hua Feng before her lit up in her vision.

So it seems that, lacking a higher cultivation, I cannot escape the fate of needing a pure yang partner to balance my yin, she thought as her consciousness faded.

Hua Feng sensed something was about to happen to him and tried to resist, but it was too late. With a wave of Xiao Li’s hand, the doors and windows snapped shut, and she cast an unbreakable formation, impenetrable to anyone below the Emperor level. The room dimmed, and in the darkness, there came the sound of garments falling to the floor.

Hua Feng found himself unable to move. Xiao Li drew close, sending a surge of energy into him that triggered a rapid release of dopamine in his body. His reason was slowly led away by her, and in a flash, the fire was lit, and there was no turning back.

It’s over! Hua Feng couldn’t help but think. This was an outcome he’d never expected. He had assumed that simply channeling his energy would suffice, never imagining the true cost would be like this. How miserable—to be forced into such an encounter by a Yuan Emperor-level nine-tailed heavenly fox.

These were the last fleeting thoughts that crossed Hua Feng’s mind before his consciousness was overwhelmed by the energy from the now-unconscious Xiao Li.

Then, like spring rain quietly nourishing the earth, the storm raged and finally subsided. Once the fierce struggle ended, both gradually regained control of their bodies, utterly drained of energy. Neither had the strength to tend to their disheveled appearance. In Hua Feng’s core, the Taiji diagram turned slowly. The yang side’s “fish eye” inner core still dominated, but after several hours of mutual energy exchange and depletion, the yin side’s “fish eye” had also grown substantially, now approaching equilibrium.

Although Hua Feng’s constitution allowed him to absorb the world’s energy and slowly nurture his inner core, it was nothing like this—one night with a Yuan Emperor-level heavenly fox accomplished what would otherwise have taken him more than half a month of grueling training, over ten hours each day.

Yet what weighed on Hua Feng most was guilt toward Yunmeng. It had only been a little over a month since their parting, and now he had lost himself to the heavenly fox. Though he had been more passive than willing, the guilt was undiminished. What was done was done—he would not shirk responsibility. Hua Feng was not the sort to make excuses.

Glancing at Xiao Li lying next to him, barely covered, he waited until he had recovered a bit of energy before gently pulling the quilt over her. She was still deep in sleep, but he could sense that her agitated demonic force had calmed. Hua Feng quietly dressed and sat cross-legged by the bed, meditating to restore his own energy.

Fortunately, the remote headquarters of the agricultural clan was deep within a primeval forest, surrounded by vibrant life and rich with vital spiritual energy. Thanks to the Taiji diagram he had developed at the start of his training in the Flying Dragon Battalion, his recovery was swift. As dawn approached, Hua Feng discovered, to his astonishment, that he had somehow risen two more levels—he was now at level forty-eight, mid-stage Yuan Emperor.